Seven self-immolation suspects under arrest

Police in northwest China's Gansu Province announced Tuesday that they have apprehended seven people for their alleged roles in convincing a local Tibetan villager to self-immolate.

Police investigations show the self-immolation of Sangye Gyatso, a 26-year-old resident of Duohe Village, Nawu Township in the city of Hezuo, on Oct. 6, 2012, was "masterminded by key members of the 'Tibetan Youth Congress' of the overseas Dalai clique," according to a statement.

Sangye Gyatso died in the self-immolation.

Police investigations also show that Sangye Gyatso was handled in accordance with the law in 2007 for repeated acts of theft, which were carried out with the help of others. He had been without a formal job for a long time.

Khyi Gyatso, 33, a village friend of Sangye Gyatso, had been a monk at the local Duohe Monastery before leaving China through illegal means to become a monk in an Indian monastery in 2000.

As a key member of the "Tibetan Youth Congress," Khyi Gyatso introduced Sangye Gyatso to ideas about "Tibet independence" during his stay in China in 2011.

After returning to India in September 2011, Khyi Gyatso continued to contact Sangye Gyatso by phone and email, urging the latter to "contribute to the cause of Tibetans and improve his status and that of his family" by following the pattern of the "heroic deed" of self-immolation.

In January 2012, Khyi Gyatso and Gonpo Konchoghu, another member of the "Tibetan Youth Congress" as well as a former monk at Duohe Monastery, held a meeting in India with around 30 monks from Gansu's Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, who were then in India for a so-called "religious session" held by the Dalai clique. The monks included 41-year-old Kalzang Gyatso and 32-year-old Gonpo Je.

The meeting was about planning the self-immolations of Tibetans in China.

In April 2012, Gonpo Konchoghu illegally entered China and urged Sangye Gyatso to self-immolate, promising "to send the latter's picture overseas after his self-immolation and request that the Dalai Lama arrange a religious session for him in India."

On Oct. 6, 2012, Sangye Gyatso phoned three people, including Gonpo Je, about the time and site for his self-immolation.

After Sangye Gyatso set himself on fire, Tashi Gyatso and Gonpo Je, among others who were all there waiting, took photos of the self-immolation process and quickly sent them overseas.

That afternoon, Khyi Gyatso, who was then overseas, released the "news" about the self-immolation. Shortly thereafter, the Dalai clique launched a high-profile "propaganda" campaign on the well-orchestrated incident, claiming there was a "humanitarian crisis" in China and calling for the international community to interfere.

Chinese police have also requested that police in relevant countries help investigate Gonpo Konchoghu via channels for international police cooperation.

According to the statement, Chinese police said organizing, masterminding and inciting others' self-immolations is a serious crime of intentionally depriving others of their lives.

Vowing greater efforts in investigations into such cases, Chinese police said those responsible for the brutal acts will be punished seriously in accordance with the law.

Did the Dalai Lama really say no to self-immolation?

The 14th Dalai Lama finally bowed to pressure to publicly express objection to self-immolation behavior for the first time during an interview with NDTV. Sadly, he used a game of word and his words seem not to match his deeds.

He said "This question is politically sensitive. Political leaders have expressed right from the beginning, very clearly we never encourage such acts, but at the same time if we have something to offer them then I can say you should not do this…"

Although the Dalai Lama used "I" to express the objection to self-immolation, the question here is that political leaders were deemed not to include "his holiness" who announced to "retire" from political positions in early 2011.

The meaning of the Dalai Lama is presumed that "political leaders" are against self-immolation, so is the so-called Tibet-in-exile government, while he himself is not part of them. Any self-immolation for political end is not encouraged, while for religious aspect, he keeps silent.

Several cases of plotted self-immolations have occurred in Tibetan-inhibited areas in China. Most of the self-immolators were cultivated Tibetan Buddhist monks, who held a hope that as long as they burned themselves and survive, they would be able to be received by the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala. And if they were burned dead; their soul could be reincarnated to heaven and all their sin forgiven.

It is ironic that the "holiness" Dalai Lama who always mentioned "ahimsa" has given such a delusion to deprive so many young lives.

We could not help wondering, is the Dalai Lama really a qualified religious guru? Does he feel guilty towards the innocent lives that were sacrificed just for being received by him in another country?

In an interview with NDTV regarding to the recently gang rapes in India’s capital city, New Delhi, the Dalai Lama expressed clearly that he "respect others life; helping other people is actually the best way to fulfill your own happy life. Harming other people, bullying other including raping will destroy your own good future life."

But the Dalai Lama conducted a different approach towards lives lost in the 2008 Lhasa Riot. The whole Chinese nation was thrown in deep sorrow and anger across worldwide towards the brutal acts.

Nevertheless, as a Buddhist leader, he showed no empathy towards the victims, instead he degraded several killed victims of sales girls including one Tibetan girl named Tersing Drolkar in a cloth store as "prostitutes" who "deserved" such bitter ending.

The Buddha teaches that from birth, each of us has an instinctive gentleness towards others – a desire to protect those around us from harm. Cultivating and nurturing this love give meaning to our short lives.

Clearly, the Dalai Lama didn’t regard these killings including self-immolations in Tibet as violent and brutal behaviors. Living in a society ruled by law, killing or murder is judged with different standards between the Dalai Lama group and others.

The Dalai Lama owes the international community as well as the Tibetan people an explanation on this.

Please read our Terms of Service. Messages that harass, abuse or threaten others; have obscene or otherwise objectionable content; have spam, commercial or advertising content or links may be removed.

SINA English is the English-language destination for news and information about China. Find general information on life, culture and travel in China through our news and special reports or find business partners through our online Business Directory. For investment opportunities with SINA, please click the link "Investor" below.